


The Hands of Life

by LooksAtStars



Series: The Exile Series [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, Minor Character Death, Necromancy, Original Character(s), POV Female Character, Running Away, The Exile Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:26:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25249138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LooksAtStars/pseuds/LooksAtStars
Summary: A young girl named Avis, who lives far from the kingdom's center, leads a humble life in her flower shop. Until she is discovered to bring objects to life.
Series: The Exile Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1829242





	The Hands of Life

**Author's Note:**

> A brief warning for a minor character death, and brief scene of reanimation. If these topics or events disturb you, then read at your own comfort. These topics are covered momentarily and not described in much detail.

In a prosperous village of the kingdom, filled with bustling shops and profited from rich travelers looking for their wares, a young lady named Avis leads a humble life running the flower shop on the edge of town. Caring for her elderly grandfather, she spends her days tending to the garden, arranging bouquets, as well as dealing with the occasional customer in need of a token for their affection. After the death of her parents, the young woman did not expect this simple life, but accepts these responsibilities out of gratitude for her grandfather, Lucious, taking her in.

Though Avis remains isolated most days, in the cottage far from the boisterous center of town, she does not feel lonely. In the peace of her shop, she is able to use the strange magic she has been born with: the ability to bring life to any object she touches. As she has solemnly sworn to never reveal to others- for fear of banishment or worse- the young lady keeps a careful eye to ensure her secret power stays safe. However, Avis does indulge herself in speaking to the flowers as she delicately orchestrates them into their vases or allowing their quartets to softly sing to her as she sweeps up the shop.

Once a week, after all her work is done and all her earnings from her labor are reported to a gracious and sickly Lucious upstairs, Avis is allowed the day off to enjoy the town. More often than not though she is found outside, past the sprawling fields at the border of the village where the flowers grow rampant. Deep within the woods, where the dense treetops blanket the world below, she feels safe in the seclusion to bring life to the twisted trees and dance under their crooked branches. Avis lays beneath their towering figures, telling them of her dreams to travel through the kingdom once she has enough money and in return, they share with her the lifetimes they have seen pass. And as her only day free comes to an end, with the dwindling rays of sun peeking through the leaves, the trees guide her on her way home before they return to their quiet slumber.

This humble life can never last however, as her grandfather grows sicker by the day. Though Avis refuses to believe her grandfather is near his end, Lucious knows what will come as he awakes one early morning. Despite his pleas for her to stay by his side, the young woman flees the cottage before the sun breaks the horizon, running into town in search of the village’s doctor. By the time her desperate knocking is answered, with the doctor sleepily collecting his medical case and following her back to the flower shop, Lucious is no more. Her grandfather lays in his bed, hands tucked gently over his belly, peaceful face haloed by the first rays of the rising sun peeking through the window. With a careful hand against his neck, the doctor confirms Avis’ fear, standing back to let her grieve.

The young woman falls on his bedside, clutching at the sheets as tears bloom from her eyes, wishing more than anything she could have those last few moments with him back, to be there for him before he went into his eternal slumber. Avis reaches out for his calloused hand, hoping she could hear her grandfather’s voice one last time. Looking down at his creased face, Avis thanks him through her sobs for everything he provided for her, as Lucious’ flat eyes open. His hand grips around hers as her name echoes past his lips, voice hallow and frightened. Avis screams, ripping her hand away, and just as soon as it had taken hold, her magic releases her grandfather, laying him to rest once again.

As the young woman struggles to breathe, she can make out the voice of the doctor asking what she is, pressed against the bedroom wall in shock, in fear, in confusion. Avis’ mind races with the possibilities- she had been caught, her powers had been discovered, she would be held captive, she would be killed, she would be blamed for her grandfather’s death. Her heartbeat drowns him out as she runs through the doorway, out of the cottage, past the field of flowers, feet pounding against the earth as she flees to the only hideaway she can think of. She does not stop until her foot hooks under a tangled root, sending her sprawling against the dirt. The tears come again as everything that had happened that morning caught up to her. Avis wobbles unease steps to the nearest tree, pressing herself against it to balance out her aching foot, pushing off to continue her slow journey to the next tree.

One by one the towering figures awake around her, asking in powerful voices what has troubled her so. She explains the death of her grandfather, the horror of her powers, the discovery of her magic, wiping away tears from her face as she does. Avis begs for answers from the ancient beings, for direction of where to go now that she can never return home. Silence fills the forest as the trees mull over what to tell the young woman who had brought them life, had shown them kindness, had made them love humanity. The largest and most crooked of them bestows his wisdom upon her, guiding her east to the far away center of the kingdom where no one would know her name or her power, telling her to become a servant for the castle where no one would look into where she had come from or why she had left.

As Avis stands, small amongst the towering figures, she thanks them for their directions and for their friendship, hesitantly stepping out into the denser and darker maze of woods in search of the kingdom’s center. The trees bid her good fortune as they return to their quiet slumber forevermore.


End file.
